The
ArabArab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية‎ al-Jāmiʻah
al-ʻArabīyah), formally the League of
ArabArab States (Arabic:
جامعة الدول العربية‎ Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal
al-ʻArabīyah), is a regional organization of
ArabArab states in and
around North Africa, the
Horn of AfricaHorn of Africa and Arabia. It was formed in
CairoCairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Kingdom of Egypt, Kingdom of
Iraq, Transjordan (renamed
JordanJordan in 1949), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and
Syria.[3]
YemenYemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. Currently, the
League has 22 members, but Syria's participation has been suspended
since November 2011, as a consequence of government repression during
the Syrian Civil War.[4]
The League's main goal is to "draw closer the relations between member
States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their
independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the
affairs and interests of the
ArabArab countries".[5]
Through institutions, such as the
ArabArab League Educational, Cultural
and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and the Economic and Social
Council of the
ArabArab League's
Council of Arab Economic UnityCouncil of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU),
the
ArabArab League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific,
and social programmes designed to promote the interests of the Arab
world.[6][7] It has served as a forum for the member states to
coordinate their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common
concern, to settle some
ArabArab disputes and to limit conflicts such as
the 1958
LebanonLebanon crisis. The League has served as a platform for the
drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic
integration. One example is the Joint
ArabArab Economic Action Charter,
which outlines the principles for economic activities in the region.

Each member state has one vote in the League Council, and decisions
are binding only for those states that have voted for them. The aims
of the league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political,
cultural, economic and social programs of its members and to mediate
disputes among them or between them and third parties. Furthermore,
the signing of an agreement on Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation
on 13 April 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military
defence measures. In March 2015, the
ArabArab League General Secretary
announced the establishment of a Joint
ArabArab Force with the aim of
counteracting extremism and other threats to the
ArabArab States. The
decision was reached while Operation Decisive Storm was intensifying
in Yemen. Participation in the project is voluntary, and the army
intervenes only at the request of one of the member states. The
growing militarization of the region and the increase in violent civil
wars as well as terrorist movements are the reason behind the creation
of the JAF, financed by the rich Gulf countries.[8]
In the early 1970s, the Economic Council of the League of
ArabArab States
put forward a proposal to create the Joint
ArabArab Chambers of Commerce
across the European states. That led, under the decree of the League
of
ArabArab States no. K1175/D52/G, to the decision by the Arab
governments to set up the
Arab British Chamber of Commerce which was
mandated to "promote, encourage and facilitate bilateral trade"
between the
Arab worldArab world and its major trading partner, the United
Kingdom.

History
Main article: History of the
ArabArab League
Following adoption of the
Alexandria ProtocolAlexandria Protocol in 1944, the
ArabArab League
was founded on 22 March 1945. It aimed to be a regional organisation
of
ArabArab states with a focus to developing the economy, resolving
disputes and coordinating political aims.[9] Other countries later
joined the league.[10] Each country was given one vote in the council.
The first major action was the joint intervention, allegedly on behalf
of the majority
ArabArab population being uprooted as the state of Israel
emerged in 1948 (and in response to popular protest in the Arab
world), but a major participant in this intervention, Transjordan, had
agreed with the Israelis to divide up the
ArabArab Palestinian state
proposed by the
United NationsUnited Nations General Assembly, and
EgyptEgypt intervened
primarily to prevent its rival in
AmmanAmman from accomplishing its
objective.[11] It was followed by the creation of a mutual defence
treaty two years later. A common market was established in
1965.[9][12]
Geography
Main article: Geography of the
ArabArab League

Joining dates of member states; the
ComorosComoros (circled) joined in 1993.
1940s 1950s
1960s 1970s

The
ArabArab League member states cover over 13,000,000 km2
(5,000,000 sq mi) and straddles two continents:
AfricaAfrica and
Asia. The area largely consists of arid deserts, such as the Sahara.
Nevertheless, it also contains several highly fertile lands like the
NileNile Valley, the
Jubba Valley and
Shebelle Valley in the Horn of
Africa, the
Atlas MountainsAtlas Mountains in the Maghreb, and the Fertile Crescent
that stretches over
MesopotamiaMesopotamia and the Levant. The area comprises
deep forests in southern
ArabiaArabia and parts of the world's longest
river, the Nile.
Member states
Main article: Member states of the
ArabArab League
The Charter of the
ArabArab League, also known as the Pact of the League
of
ArabArab States, is the founding treaty of the
ArabArab League. Adopted in
1945, it stipulates that "the League of
ArabArab States shall be composed
of the: independent
ArabArab States that have signed this Pact."[13]
Starting with only six members in 1945, the
ArabArab League now occupies
an area spanning around 14 million km² and counts 22 members, and 4
observer states. The 22 members today include three of the largest
African countries (Sudan,
AlgeriaAlgeria and Libya) and the largest country
in the
Middle EastMiddle East (Saudi Arabia).
There was a continual increase in membership during the second half of
the 20th century, with an additional 15
ArabArab states being admitted.
SyriaSyria was suspended following the 2011 uprising. As of 2016, there are
a total of 22 member states. The
ArabArab League member states are as
follows:

On 22 February 2011, following the start of the Libyan Civil War and
the use of military force against civilians, the
ArabArab League
Secretary-General, Amr Moussa, stated that Libya's membership in the
ArabArab League had been suspended: "the organisation has decided to halt
the participation of the Libyan delegations from all
ArabArab League
sessions".[15] That makes
LibyaLibya the second country in the League's
history to have a frozen membership. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
declared that the League was illegitimate, saying: "The
ArabArab League is
finished. There is no such thing as the
ArabArab League".[16][17] On 25
August 2011, Secretary-General
Nabil ElarabyNabil Elaraby announced it was "about
time" Libya's full member status was restored. The National
Transitional Council, the partially recognised interim government of
Libya, sent a representative to be seated at the
ArabArab League meeting
on 17 August to participate in a discussion as to whether to readmit
LibyaLibya to the organisation.[18]
The
Arab ParliamentArab Parliament recommended the suspension of member states Syria
and
YemenYemen on 20 September 2011 over persistent reports of
disproportionate violence against regime opponents and activists
during the
ArabArab Spring.[19] A vote on 12 November agreed to the formal
suspension of
SyriaSyria four days after the vote, giving Assad a last
chance to avoid suspension. Syria,
LebanonLebanon and
YemenYemen voted against the
motion, and
IraqIraq abstained.[20] There was a large amount of criticism
as the
ArabArab League sent in December 2011 a commission "monitoring"
violence on people protesting against the regime. The commission was
headed by Mohammad Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, who served as head of Omar
al-Bashir's military intelligence, while war crimes, including
genocide, were allegedly committed on his watch.[21][22][23] On 6
March 2013, the
ArabArab League granted to the Syrian National Coalition
Syria's seat in the
ArabArab League.[24] On 9 March 2014, the pan-Arab
group's secretary general
Nabil al-ArabiNabil al-Arabi said that Syria's seat at the
ArabArab League would remain vacant until the opposition completes the
formation of its institutions.[25]
Politics and administration
Main articles: Charter of the
ArabArab League, Politics of the Arab
League, and
ArabArab Parliament

The
ArabArab League is a political organization which tries to help
integrate its members economically, and solve conflicts involving
member states without asking for foreign assistance. It possesses
elements of a state representative parliament while foreign affairs
are often dealt with under UN supervision.
The Charter of the
ArabArab League[5] endorsed the principle of an Arab
homeland while respecting the sovereignty of the individual member
states. The internal regulations of the Council of the League[26] and
the committees[27] were agreed in October 1951. Those of the
Secretariat-General were agreed in May 1953.[28]
Since then, governance of the
ArabArab League has been based on the
duality of supra-national institutions and the sovereignty of the
member states. Preservation of individual statehood derived its
strengths from the natural preference of ruling elites to maintain
their power and independence in decision making. Moreover, the fear of
the richer that the poorer may share their wealth in the name of Arab
nationalism, the feuds among
ArabArab rulers, and the influence of
external powers that might oppose
ArabArab unity can be seen as obstacles
towards a deeper integration of the league.
Mindful of their previous announcements in support of the
ArabsArabs of
Palestine the framers of the Pact were determined to include them
within the League from its inauguration.[29] This was done by means of
an annex that declared:[5]

“
Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was
on the basis of the recognition of her independence that the Covenant
of the League of Nations determined a system of government for her.
Her existence and her independence among the nations can, therefore,
no more be questioned de jure than the independence of any of the
other
ArabArab States. [...] Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact
of the
ArabArab League consider that in view of Palestine's special
circumstances, the Council of the League should designate an Arab
delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country
enjoys actual independence
”

At the
CairoCairo Summit of 1964, the
ArabArab League initiated the creation of
an organisation representing the Palestinian people. The first
Palestinian National Council convened in
East JerusalemEast Jerusalem on 29 May
1964. The
Palestinian Liberation OrganizationPalestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this
meeting on 2 June 1964. Palestine was shortly admitted in to the Arab
League, represented by the PLO. Today,
State of PalestineState of Palestine is a full
member of the
ArabArab League.
At the
Beirut Summit on 28 March 2002, the league adopted the Arab
Peace Initiative,[30] a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the
Arab–Israeli conflict. The initiative offered full normalisation of
the relations with Israel. In exchange,
IsraelIsrael was required to
withdraw from all occupied territories, including the Golan Heights,
to recognise Palestinian independence in the
West BankWest Bank and Gaza Strip,
with
East JerusalemEast Jerusalem as its capital, as well as a "just solution" for
the Palestinian refugees. The Peace Initiative was again endorsed at
2007 in the
RiyadhRiyadh Summit. In July 2007, the
ArabArab League sent a
mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers,
to
IsraelIsrael to promote the initiative. Following Venezuela's move to
expel Israeli diplomats amid the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict,
Kuwaiti member of parliament
Waleed Al-Tabtabaie proposed moving Arab
League headquarters to Caracas, Venezuela.[31] On 13 June 2010, Amr
Mohammed Moussa, Secretary-General of the
ArabArab League, visited the
Gaza Strip, the first visit by an official of the
ArabArab League since
Hamas' armed takeover in 2007.
In 2015, the
ArabArab League voiced support for Saudi Arabian-led military
intervention in
YemenYemen against the Shia Houthis and forces loyal to
former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was deposed in the 2011
uprising.[32]
Summits

On 25 November 1981: the 5-hour meeting ended without an agreement on
document.
On 6–9 September 1982.

Economic resources

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Main article: Economy of the
ArabArab League
See also:
List of countries by GDP (PPP)List of countries by GDP (PPP) and List of countries by GDP
(PPP) per capita
The
ArabArab League is rich in resources, such as enormous oil and natural
gas resources in certain member states. Another industry that is
growing steadily in the
ArabArab League is telecommunications. Within less
than a decade, local companies such as
OrascomOrascom and
EtisalatEtisalat have
managed to compete internationally.[citation needed]
Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states
have been less impressive than those achieved by smaller Arab
organisations such as the
Gulf Cooperation CouncilGulf Cooperation Council (GCC).[40] Among
them is the
ArabArab Gas Pipeline, that will transport Egyptian and Iraqi
gas to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. As of 2013, a significant
difference in economic conditions exist between the developed oil
states of Algeria, Qatar,
KuwaitKuwait and the UAE, and developing countries
like Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia,
SudanSudan and Yemen.

OAPEC Members

The
ArabArab League also includes great fertile lands in the southern part
of Sudan. It is referred to as the food basket of the
ArabArab World, the
region's instability including the independence of South
SudanSudan has not
affected its tourism industry, that is considered the fastest growing
industry in the region, with Egypt, UAE, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Jordan
leading the way. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab
League is telecommunications.
Economical achievements within members have been low in the league's
history, other smaller
ArabArab Organizations have achieved more than the
league has, such as the GCC, but lately several major economic
projects that are promising are to be completed, the
ArabArab Gas Pipeline
is to end by the year 2010, Connecting Egyptian and Iraqi Gas to
Jordan,
SyriaSyria and Lebanon, and then to
TurkeyTurkey thus Europe, a free
trade Agreement (GAFTA) is to be completed by 1 January 2008, making
95% of all
ArabArab Products tax free of customs.
Transport
Main article: Transport in the
ArabArab League
The
ArabArab League is divided into five parts when it comes to transport,
with the
Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula and the
Near EastNear East being entirely connected
by air, sea, roads and railways. Another part of the League is the
NileNile Valley, made up of
EgyptEgypt and Sudan. These two member states have
started to improve the River Nile's navigation system to improve
accessibility and thus foster trading. A new railway system is also
set to connect the southern Egyptian city of
Abu SimbelAbu Simbel with the
northern
SudaneseSudanese city of
Wadi HalfaWadi Halfa and then to
KhartoumKhartoum and Port
Sudan. The third division of the League is the Maghreb, where a
3,000 km stretch of railway runs from the southern cities of
MoroccoMorocco to
TripoliTripoli in Western Libya. The fourth division of the League
is the Horn of Africa, whose member states include
DjiboutiDjibouti and
Somalia. These two
ArabArab League states are separated by only ten
nautical miles from the
Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula by the
Bab el MandebBab el Mandeb and
this is quickly changing as Tarik bin Laden, the brother of Osama bin
Laden, has initiated the construction of the ambitious Bridge of the
Horns project, which ultimately aims to connect the Horn of Africa
with the
Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula via a massive bridge. The project is
intended to facilitate and accelerate the already centuries-old trade
and commerce between the two regions. The last division of the League
is the isolated island of Comoros, which is not physically connected
to any other
ArabArab state, but still trades with other League members.
LiteracyLiteracy in
ArabArab league countries
Main article: List of countries by literacy rate

In collecting literacy data, many countries estimate the number of
literate people based on self-reported data. Some use educational
attainment data as a proxy, but measures of school attendance or grade
completion may differ. Because definitions and data collection methods
vary across countries, literacy estimates should be used with caution.
United NationsUnited Nations Development Programme,
Human Development ReportHuman Development Report 2010.
It is also important to note that the
Persian GulfPersian Gulf region has had an
oil boom, enabling more schools and universities to be set up.

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of the
ArabArab League
The
ArabArab League is a culturally and ethnically one association of 22
member states, with the overwhelming majority of the League's
population identified as
ArabArab (on a cultural ethnoracial basis). As of
July 1, 2013, about 359 million people live in the states of the Arab
League. Its population grows faster than in most other global regions.
The most populous member state is Egypt, with a population of about 91
million.[44] The least populated is the Comoros, with over 0.6 million
inhabitants.

Religion
Almost all of the
ArabArab League's citizens adhere to Islam, with
ChristianityChristianity being the second largest religion. At least 15 million
Christians combined live in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine,
SudanSudan and Syria. In addition, there are smaller but significant
numbers of Druze, Yazidis,
ShabaksShabaks and Mandaeans. Numbers for
nonreligious
ArabsArabs are generally not available, but research by the
Pew ForumPew Forum suggests around 1% of people in the
MENA region are
"unaffiliated".[54]
Linguistics
The official language of the
ArabArab League is Literary Arabic, based on
Classical Arabic. However, several
ArabArab League member states have
other co-official or national languages, such as Somali, Berber,
Kurdish, Assyrian, and Nubian. Additionally, various different Arabic
dialects are spoken, such as Egyptian Arabic, Levantine
ArabicArabic and
Moroccan Arabic.
Culture

Liber de Causis
The Theology of Aristotle
Al-isharat
The Book of the Apple
Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity
The Incoherence of the Philosophers
The Incoherence of the Incoherence
Hayy ibn Yaqdhan
Theologus Autodidactus
On the Harmony of Religions and Philosophy
Muqaddimah
Sicilian Questions
Fusus al-Hikam

Sports
Main article: Sport policies of the
ArabArab League
The
Pan Arab GamesPan Arab Games are considered the biggest
ArabArab sporting event,
which brings together athletes from all the
ArabArab countries to
participate in a variety of different sports.
The Union of
ArabArab Football Associations organises the
ArabArab Nations Cup
(for national teams) and the
UAFA Club ChampionshipUAFA Club Championship (for clubs). Arab
sport federations also exist for several games, include basketball,
volleyball, handball, table tennis, tennis, squash and
swimming.[citation needed]
See also

African Union
ArabArab League
AsiaAsia Cooperation Dialogue
APEC
OCS
ASEAN
BBIN
BIMSTEC
Caribbean Community
Central American Integration System
Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Nations
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
Council of Europe
East African Community
ECOWAS
Economic Cooperation Organization
Eurasian Economic Union
EU
GUAM
Gulf Cooperation Council
IORA
Latin American Parliament
Melanesian Spearhead Group
Mercosur
NATO
Nordic Council
OAS
PIF
Polynesian Leaders Group
RCEP
SCO
SAARC
TAKM
Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat
Turkic Council
Union of South American Nations
V4
West Nordic Council